Tips for Brides: Preparing for Your Photographer to Arrive

I LOVE “getting ready” shots. Seriously. The emotion and joy is so thick in the room as mom sees her daughter in her wedding dress on her wedding day. As mom helps the bride put on her great grandmother’s necklace. As best friends see her as beautiful as she’s ever looked.

Those are the moments we are so happy to capture and share with our couples and their families.

In fact, all of this can apply to the groom too, adapted of course!

How Can A Bride Prepare for These Photos?

Everything but the dress. We love capturing those last makeup and hair details right before you step into your dress. It’s usually an exciting time as you wait in anticipation of seeing it all come together – hair, makeup, nails, flowers, shoes, and… the dress. Getting each of those details before they come together helps tell the story.

Pick a large room with lots of natural light (lots of windows). When I don’t have to artificially add light I am able to capture the photos exactly as both I and those in the room see them. Plus, how distracting is it for those moments to be interrupted by repeated flashes of light? Having a larger room gives us all room to move around and give us plenty of photo options.

Clean up a bit. While I don’t ever expect a spotless room, having your attendants do a quick pickup will help lots. Hiding dress bags, packing clothes, hiding suitcases, making up the bed, throwing away trash and fast food cups help so much. Pretty rooms help make pretty pictures.

Everyone should be completely ready except for you. Your attendants are called that because traditionally, that’s why you asked them to spend all day with you in matching dresses – to attend to you and your needs. Having them be completely ready when I arrive means all of their attention is on you. Each gets to be in your photos helping and interacting with you instead of looking for her shoes.

Do you have any tips or questions about having the best pre-wedding photos?

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Chris & Amanda

We're a husband a wife photography team who share a love for photographing people at their most joyous times. As wedding and portrait photographers, we have the honor of capturing the memories to be shared for a lifetime or longer. We're based on St. Simons Island, GA and frequent the surrounding areas of Savannah, Jekyll Island, and Sea Island and Brunswick. Though we'd be honored to travel to your destination wedding.